The Lost, The Damned and The Potters
by stevebond1990
Summary: "My dad said 'Fortune Favours The Bold'," Serina said. "No, Fortune Favours the Damned who are bold enough to give destiny a two fingered salute and make their own path," Harry corrected.
1. Chapter 1

The Lost, The Damned and The Potters

Chapter 1

Harry shivered as a blast of cold air swept through the now empty Chamber of Secrets; he spun around to look down the entrance tunnel and heard faint footsteps echoing through the tunnels.

"Damn, they were quick," Harry muttered as he turned back to the small stepped platform he'd built, and the final preparations for his trip through time.

If there was even the slightest miscalculation… the smallest misalignment, he'd be trapped in crystal for a period up to the length of time he travelled.

He had to do this quickly and carefully, otherwise…

He'd found an old ritual used to travel through time, but it required an anchor point to work, usually a blood relative.

The ritual had fallen out of use after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire as the overuse of this ritual to constantly change the past, present and future for the ruling families in Rome had left them unconcerned about outside threats, a false sense of security born of the arrogant belief that they could just turn back time and change the past. They failed.

Harry was planning to use the ritual to open a portal into the timestream and save his parents, contrary to what his girlfriend and godwolf believed he didn't intend to change the overall outcome of that night, no too much relied on that curse backfiring, but he'd found out that his parent's bodies were never recovered, they were listed as missing – presumed dead for three years before the Ministry declared them deceased.

He was planning to arrange for them to be sent forward through time using the killing curse as an activation key and power source, a time turner could go further than 24 hours but needed to be powered by a greater level of energy than kinetic motion alone allowed.

Two nights ago they'd used a time turner Hermione was issued at the start of the school year to save his godfather Sirius Black.

He 'borrowed' it last night and made two copies from brass and used a small quantity of time sand to make them work.

The two copies were one use items, they were calibrated to send his parents twelve years into the future and act as a magnet for a killing curse sent within six feet of it, which would then trip the turner and send his parents into the future.

He also programmed a portkey that would bring them to the Chamber after they arrived in this time.

Harry just finished placing the last rune when there was a loud bang on the great iron door of the Chamber's entrance way, he distinctly heard his girlfriend Serina shout his name before his godwolf joined.

Harry stepped back and secured the two copied turners before starting the ritual.

There wasn't really a conventional chant, just activation phrases uttered in sequence as power was directed to the corresponding runes, for one of the most powerful and dangerous rituals in the history of wizardkind it was insanely simple.

The iron door of the Chamber opened and the clatter of heeled shoes echoed across the ancient stones as Harry spoke the penultimate phrase and the raw hexagonal portal formed between the two upright supports.

"Harry!" a girl screamed.

Harry didn't look away from the swirling vortex, "Godric's Hollow, October 31st, 1981 Anno Domino," he said as the last rune activated, bringing a noticeable change to the portal, the edges sharpened and the vortex became more defined, almost like the walls of a tunnel.

"Harry!" Serina screamed again, "No! Let Me GO! Harry, Please don't do this… HARRY!" the black haired girl slumped into her uncle Remus Lupin's arms as Harry stepped into the portal, taking one last look back, before stepping further into the portal and into the past.

"Harry," she said quietly as she broke down and cried into Remus' shoulder.

The vortex swirled around him for what felt like an eternity until it broke open to reveal the town square in Godric's Hollow.

Harry looked around but was greeted by a disorienting distortion of his vision, his sight was largely black and white with only hints of colour, there was a blurring caused whenever he moved which affected everything from his arm to the old War Memorial, everything seemed coated in fine dust or smoke that contributed to the blurring and seemed to blow off everything in great waves or sheets, finally it sounded like there was a constant gale which was causing the smoke or dust to be blown away.

He noticed that the wind direction never changed and concluded that while he was in the past he was still immersed in the time stream.

'Good, that should help me', Harry thought as he started off towards his old home.

It was very different than he remembered, the paint was fresh, the roof was whole, there was no smell of wood smoke, the door was whole and the inhabitants were very much alive.

Harry stepped up to the door and looked inside through the living room window to the shock of his life, his parents were shadows.

"Of course, the Fidelius," Harry muttered as he walked around to the back, he could only see his parents because of their imprints on the time stream, the only person he would be able to see clearly would be his younger self and Voldemort.

Harry reached the back door to find that it was heavily warded but like Malfoy Manor's gatehouse not warded to prevent someone picking the lock.

It took several minutes but he managed it thanks to a lockpick he'd rescued from Filch's office just in case.

He slipped inside but his entrance was noticed.

"James, did you leave the back door open?" a familiar woman's voice asked.

Harry's eyes widened and he shot to the far side of the kitchen as a very pretty woman with long wavy dark red hair stepped into the kitchen wearing a blue jumper and jeans.

"No," a man answered, slightly panicked.

The woman hurried to the door and shut the door, casting several spells, but relaxing when the charms revealed nothing too alarming.

"The door wasn't locked," she said, locking the door and this time charming it so picking the lock wouldn't work.

'Bugger' Harry thought as his mother turned around with her wand out presumably to do the same to the front door.

He is breath caught in his chest as she stopped and whirled around, staring directly at him.

He backed into a kitchen unit as she advanced on him, her left hand outstretched and her right holding her wand steady. She was a foot from him when she threw her hand forwards.

Agony, pure undiluted agony.

To Harry it felt like his soul was being torn in two, a horrific cold spread from where her hand passed through and into his chest and it started to radiate outwards, he could feel it creeping through the veins in his neck and through his abdomen and into his crotch when his mother withdrew her hand with a puzzled expression.

Harry remained frozen for over a minute, only watching as his mother looked at him confused before putting her wand away and heading into the next room.

Harry remained where he was for a few seconds after he heard his mother start talking to his father before collapsing in a heap, clutching his chest.

He didn't know how long he lay there until the pain faded, but it was dark by the time he was able to move.

He looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was half past nine, "Two hours 'til Tom shows" Harry mumbled as he rose, noting that his father was sitting in an armchair reading a book as he left the kitchen and entered the living room.

Harry stared for a moment, thinking it was very odd that his father was reading a book, according to Remus his father acted like he was allergic to reading at school.

He stepped up behind with his wand drawn, watching as he stopped reading and looked up as the dust trails from their bodies intertwined.

Harry drew in a breath; he only had one shot at this, "_Confundus_".

James's hazel eyes became unfocused for a moment, which was all the time Harry needed to remove one of his turner copies, prime it and slip it over his father's head and stuff it and it's chain out of sight under the collar of his shirt and into his jumper, finally adding a localised _'Confundus'_ and 'Notice-Me-Not' charm. As he stepped away he fired a _'Finite'_ that cancelled the charm on his father.

Harry then hurried upstairs and waited just outside the nursery; he waited until Lily opened the door and fired another _'Confundus'_ at her from point-blank range. Just like James her eyes lost focus and was oblivious as Harry slipped the second modified turner around her neck, primed it and hid it down the front of her jumper with a _'Confundus'_ and Notice-Me-Not charm.

He then stepped away, in fact he was halfway down the stairs when he cancelled the _'Confundus'_ on his mother and decided to wait in the spare room by the door.

The vortex would reactivate in the town square at midnight, he had to be back or he'd drop out of the time stream and be stranded here.

He got a break when his father went to check the ward stones in the garden and left the door open.

Harry dashed outside and vaulted the fence before James could see him, climbed a brick wall and ducked behind the trees in the small orchard across the road.

He couldn't hear James moving so Harry knew that his father was watching for him but after several minutes his father moved off back into the garden and ten minutes later he heard his father step back inside and shut the door.

Harry let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding and left his spot in the trees, following the brick wall until he felt he was a safe distance from the house to jump over.

He then made the long walk back to the Town square, where he sank onto a bench opposite the War Memorial and waited, praying that this worked.

It quickly became the darkest hours of his young life, the hour and a half before Voldemort arrived was saturated in fear, and then… _HE_ came.

He actually saw Voldemort apparate into the square less than thirty feet from him. Harry had already decided that he wouldn't directly intervene, that way if his modified turners failed he wouldn't drastically change history, but he was definitely fighting back the urge to run and fight Voldemort in defence of his family.

But after that, came something far worse.

The sleepy village was so silent and still Harry heard everything that happened as if it was happening on the other side of the square.

Every curse, every swear word, the thud and the heavy silence, and then the familiar pleading screams, another thud, silence once more, a muttering and then _that_ curse followed by the rumbling boom.

Harry held his head in his hands and cried freely, completely missing both Hagrid and Sirius pass him both times, oblivious to the world until he looked up as the portal opened.

He heavily got to his feet and stepped into the portal, but as he did his body was racked by pain.

That terrible icy feeling spread through his body, as fast and as far as it did when his mother touched him, and then it was gone.

He fell to his knees inside the portal, gasping for breath as his body ached harshly as the feeling receded, he twisted on his knees slightly coming to rest with his back against one of the supports he used for the portal.

That was when everything came crashing down on him, seeing his parents alive, cursing them, and then the attack.

He could only sit there facing the other support as the tears fell in streams.

"Harry!"

He looked around to find several people around the stepped platform, most of whom were crouched or standing around two bodies several feet from the platform.

Serina ran up the steps, her eyes red, at first looking furious but her anger faded into worry as she saw him.

Harry couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye; instead he lowered his head into his hands and cried, barely feeling Serina wrap her arms around as she knelt beside him.

He lost track of time as he sat there, crying in his girlfriend's embrace, eventually darkness filled his vision and his sobs came to an end as sleep claimed him.


	2. Chapter 2

The Lost, The Damned and The Potters.

Chapter 2

Lily woke up in a long dark room, moonlight streaming in through great arched windows. The room was vaguely familiar.

She looked to her left to find a series of white sheeted beds set at intervals towards the far wall, with small cabinets beside them and strange wheeled trays that looked like they were meant to reach over onto the bed.

Realisation hit her like a brick, 'I'm in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing'.

Looking to her right she found there was only one bed between her and the wall of the matron's office, the occupant had a familiar crow's nest on their head.

"James?" she whispered.

She climbed unsteadily out of her bed and went over to the occupied bed, finding it was indeed her husband sound asleep.

"James," she whispered, shaking him, "James, wake up," she repeated, louder this time.

"Huh… hmmh … What?" James mumbled as he was woken up, he rolled over in the bed to find himself staring into the green eyes of his wife, "Lily!"

"Oh James!" Lily exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her husband, and crying into his shoulder, "You're alive."

"We're alive," James corrected, circling his own arms around his wife. "Wait? Do you have Harry?"

"No, I…" she froze suddenly then twisted in James' grip looking around frantically to see if any other beds were occupied or a cot was set up next to one, "Harry!"

"Now really," both Potters looked around to see Madame Pomfrey in the doorway of her office in a nightgown, bathrobe, fuzzy slippers and hair net, "There is no need to be so loud at this time of night."

"Poppy!" Lily exclaimed, "What happened? How'd we get here? Where's Harry? Is he hurt?"

"Not sure, you were brought up from the Chamber of Secrets three hours ago after you arrived down there, in his dorm either sleeping or hiding from his girlfriend and physically no," Poppy replied in order, casting a few charms and grabbing a pair of dreamless sleep and calming potions.

"Chamber of Secrets? That's a myth," James exclaimed as Lily said "Dorm? Girlfriend? He's ONE how could he have a girlfriend?"

"A lot has happened in the past four hours, you will be told everything in the morning, for now, sleep. Harry is perfectly safe and you will see him tomorrow," Poppy continued handing both one of each potion. "Now, drink both of these and get back to bed, you both need your rest."

The couple looked mutinously at the matron but complied when the older woman wouldn't back down, Lily drank her potions as she walked over to her bed. Within seconds both were asleep and the ward was silent again.

* * *

In another part of the castle, another Potter woke to a terrible phantom pain followed by a gut feeling he might be walking to the gallows come sunrise.

"I'm in _SO_ much trouble" Harry mumbled to himself, the Minister for Magic himself had lectured Harry on the dangers of Time-Travel an hour after he returned, but had said that he'd leave the punishment to Professor McGonagall as, despite tearing the Temporal Accords in half, he hadn't actually changed history therefore they had no grounds on which to officially punish him.

"You have no idea," a sleepy but clearly annoyed female voice replied, making Harry jump a foot in the air and land in a heap on the floor.

"Do you have _ANY_ idea how I felt as you went through that portal?" the black haired girl asked, tears welling up in her storm grey eyes, "Do you have any idea what it was like waiting for you, knowing that you might never return?"

"No," Harry replied honestly, "I can't."

"Then why did you do it?" She asked him, "Why did you put me through that?"

"My greatest desire has always been to know my family, since I learned they were trussed for slaughter I've sought a way to save my parents, after learning my parent's bodies were never found I came to the conclusion that if I could send them forward through time the moment before the curse took them I could save them but not change history," Harry said, trying to explain but looking down ashamed as he answered her second question, "I didn't mean to hurt you, but I knew you would try to stop me."

Serina just watched him as he refused to look at her, trying to make sense of everything she was feeling, "You could have gotten yourself killed."

"That could have happened during any full moon this year," Harry retorted, still not looking up and missing the pained look cross Serina's face.

"I came up with a plan that meant I wouldn't be in the house during the attack, therefore if my plan failed history would follow its course," Harry continued, "If I failed… then it wouldn't matter, I would just have to accept their gone forever."

"Oh Harry," Serina whispered, she climbed off the bed and sat next to him and pulled him close.

"Why _are_ you here?" Harry asked, wondering why she stayed with him, after everything he did tonight… any other girl would have left him.

"You're my boyfriend," she said, her reply muffled slightly as her face was buried in his neck, "despite everything, I couldn't stay mad when I saw you hurting. I didn't want you to be alone tonight."

"You deserve someone better than me," Harry mumbled, "someone who won't scare by putting himself in danger, who will always be…"

"Stop!" Serina ordered, "I may deserve someone better, but _you_ are the one my heart belongs to." She sighed and rested her chin on his shoulder, "I love you Harry."

"I love you too, Serina," Harry whispered back, twisting around to give her a quick kiss, before climbing back into bed, Serina settling down beside him.

Harry next woke up to a heavy, silky weight on his chest; he opened his eyes to find Serina using him as a pillow.

"Morning," he said as she started moving around.

"Morning, Serina mumbled, lifting her head and brushing her hair out of her face.

Harry finally looked around at his surroundings, "This isn't my dorm, where are we?"

"Gryffindor Head's dorm," Serina replied, getting up and stretching.

"I'm for the gallows, aren't I?" Harry asked, more than a little afraid.

"I won't allow that," Serina said firmly, "although if you're made to shovel hippogriff dung, you're on your own."

"Great," Harry muttered as he got up, "I guess I'll see you in the common room or the hall."

Serina gave him a quick kiss, "See you at breakfast," she said and left to get showered and changed.

Harry got up and went down to his own dorm, wondering whether he'd actually succeeded last night and what would happen today.

* * *

Three floors below in the Hospital wing, another Potter was wondering almost the same things as Madame Pomfrey performed a thorough examination of both young adults.

As Pomfrey stepped away from the beds to examine the parchment with the results, Lily turned to her husband, "What do you last remember?"

James looked out the window thoughtfully, "I was reading as you went to check on Harry, when I saw a cloaked figure pass the window. I jumped up just as the door was blown open. I tried to stop _HIM_, but you know my wandless skills aren't like yours or Remus', then there was a lot of green light and the next thing I remember is lying on a cold, wet stone floor and I passed out. Then you woke me up here," he said, trying to remember everything from the previous (to him) night.

"When I heard the explosion, I tried to escape using the stuffed stag portkey, but it was sabotaged," Lily said, James' face darkened but she continued, "I stayed in front of Harry when _HE_ came into the room, he told me to step aside… I refused, several times. Then he fired _that_ curse and all I remember after that is green light, and then I felt cold while lying on a wet stone floor and then darkness," she finished, before looking over at Madame Pomfrey, "I hope Harry's ok," she whispered.

"Poppy said he's fine," James whispered back and went to hug her but pulled back immediately when they both felt a small metallic object on their chests hanging from a chain around their necks.

They pulled the chains and brought the small objects out of their jumpers and examined them in their hands, "Is that a Time Turner?" James asked.

"A cannibalized version, yes," Lily replied, carefully examining the small brass instrument: it lacked the second gyroscopic ring, the handle and the outer stabilising ring as well as lacking a full load of Time sand but it was otherwise unmistakeably a Time Turner like the one she'd used in her third, fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts, but she spotted something on the rings, "are those… Runes?" she asked, James' eyes widened as he noticed the very fine script engraved into the delicate instrument.

"So that's how he did it?" said a familiar voice, apparently amused by their discovery.

"Professor Dumbledore," the two adults said as they saw the man, who was watching them from a spot ten feet away, his eyes twinkling madly as he took in the primitive but functional devices.

"How are they Poppy?" Dumbledore asked the matron, knowing perfectly well his authority ended at the door.

"Physically fine, there is some magical exhaustion but that should clear up by tomorrow morning, as long as they refrain from strenuous activity," she informed the headmaster, glaring at James at the end who looked sheepish from the memory of the last time he ignored that order.

"Excellent, I need to bring them up to date, if I may?" Dumbledore responded.

"You may, but I will want to see them both before they leave," the matron replied and went back to her office.

"Now, I must say it is wonderful to see you two up and about again," Dumbledore said happily to the couple in front of him, "however, much has changed since you were last here, so I must ask you what you think is the date?"

"What do you mean? If we've been asleep less than 12 hours then it's the first of November 1981," James said, Lily nodded in agreement.

"Just as I thought," Dumbledore mumbled, "It is not November 1981, it is actually May the 15th 1994," he said, patiently waiting as the two young adults in front of him stared in disbelief.

"1994?" James whispered as Lily suddenly buried her face in his neck and started to cry, "But… what about Harry? What Happened?" his voice rising as panic began to take over.

"Calm yourselves," Dumbledore said, holding up his hand, "Harry survived that night, and each night since, he is in fact a student now."

"Harry's a student? But How?" Lily whispered, looking at the headmaster.

"Harry survived that Halloween, but you were never seen again, either dead or alive so you were announced missing-presumed dead, and I arranged for Harry to be raised by your sister and her family," Dumbledore began to explain but was cut off by a scream from Lily.

"YOU SENT HIM TO PETUNIA!" she screamed, deathly afraid of what her sister might have done.

"The biggest mistake I have made in thirty years," Dumbledore admitted, _'Letting you two choose your secret keeper is a close second however.'_

"Petunia may not have treated Harry with much love, but she did take him in, feed him, clothe him," Dumbledore said.

"Probably her son's hand-me-downs," James muttered, but stopped when he saw the look in Dumbledore's eyes, "She didn't?"

"Unfortunately that was the case," Dumbledore admitted, looking even older than most thought was humanly possible/healthy. "However, after an incident involving her husband's sister Harry was removed from their custody by the Minister himself and for the past six months I have been attempting to get custody transferred to Remus Lupin."

"Remus? But Sirius is Harry's godfather?" Lily questioned.

"Sirius was believed to still be your secret keeper as everyone else who knew was dead or otherwise incapacitated, Sirius was blamed for your deaths as well as the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles," Dumbledore continued.

James could only stare in shock, "No, Sirius wouldn't do that, maybe Peter but not the muggles," Lily whispered.

"Until 72 hours ago, I believed this was the case, as did Remus and as does most of the British wizarding community, I myself testified against him in a preliminary hearing, he was sentenced to life in Azkaban…" he attempted to continue but was cut off again.

"AZKABAN? No it wasn't him…"

"I know it wasn't, thanks to Harry and Sirius' daughter Serina, they felt that Sirius' betrayal was out of character unless your entire friendship was an act so they set out to determine what happened. Together they found Sirius had not been tried or convicted and that there was no conclusive evidence or interrogation records, the current head of the DMLE is investigating," Dumbledore began again.

"HE WASN'T TRIED! What does Crouch think he's doi… Wait?" James looked up to face Dumbledore, "Sirius has a daughter?"

"Yes, Serina Marlene Black was born shortly before Harry and Marlene McKinnon went into hiding from everyone in fear of Sirius' family. I sadly played a part in Sirius' incarceration as I sent Hagrid to the house to check for survivors with strict orders to bring anyone left alive to a safe house in Cardiff, Sirius arrived roughly as Hagrid did and attempted to take Harry, Hagrid refused informing Sirius of my orders, after several minutes Sirius gave in and gave Hagrid his motorbike for him to use to get Harry to safety. He then went after Peter," Dumbledore explained.

James groaned loudly as Lily took his hand and gently squeezed it.

"They met in a muggle street in Manchester, words were exchanged where Peter loudly blamed Sirius for betraying you which was followed by an explosion that claimed twelve muggles and we assumed Peter, the most we found was a single finger,"

"One finger?" James asked, to which Dumbledore nodded.

"Harry pointed out that given the size of the explosion and the nature of explosions in general, a single neatly cut finger wouldn't be left behind, something that even I didn't notice until a few days ago, Sirius was arrested and sent to Azkaban. He broke out last August," Dumbledore continued.

"Sirius escaped? Wow, only he's crazy enough to try that," James said.

"He broke out because he recognised Peter's animagus form in a photo in the Daily Prophet, living as a student's pet, so he planned his escape in order to kill Peter and protect Harry, unfortunately his chosen methods didn't not help his claim of innocence," Dumbledore continued, again interrupted by a loud groan from James.

"He managed to capture Peter three nights ago but was cornered by Harry, Serina and their friends; Remus arrived shortly after and attempted to expose Peter but was stopped by Severus…"

"Snape? What does he have to do with this?" James asked.

"He is teaching here, he is the Potions Master. Now, Severus captured Remus and attempted to take Sirius directly to the Dementors," He stopped as the couple gasped and paled considerably, "Harry and Serina stunned Severus, freed Remus and got him and Sirius expose Peter."

"Unfortunately, the Full Moon rose as they tried to bring Peter up to the castle (Oh Merlin!), Peter escaped in the confusion caused by Remus' transformation and Harry and Sirius' efforts to get Remus away from the others and the school," Dumbledore continued.

"Wait, Harry's efforts? He's an Animagus?" James asked as his wife looked confused by that and Sirius' part.

"Yes, it seems he is a natural and has had complete control since his first accidental transformation during the Animagus Transfiguration class, Sirius however became one behind everyone's back during his school years," Dumbledore explained innocently, his eyes twinkling madly as James tried very hard to ignore his wife's questioning gaze.

"After driving Remus into the forest, the Dementors descended on the pair and they were captured. Harry and his friends were brought here while Sirius was locked in a cell on the West tower, using a Time Turner Harry and his friends rescued Sirius before he could be given the Kiss," Dumbledore continued, smiling as the couple in front of him sighed in relief or silently celebrated.

"Two nights ago, Harry acquired that Time Turner after researching an old Ritual that would allow him to travel through the Time Stream itself into the past, with it he began to engineer a plan to save you both by using one-use copies of that Time Turner to send you forwards in time the moment the killing curse struck you," Dumbledore stopped, watching uncertainty then realisation dawn on the couple's faces.

"Harry saved us?" Lily whispered.

Dumbledore nodded, "It seems that Petunia denied him any knowledge of you, even going so far as to desecrate your memory in front of him on a regular basis, once he learned even a fraction of the truth his greatest desire was and is to have both you in his life. To that end he came up with his plan, but designed it so there was no direct interference, if it failed History would be more or less unaltered," Dumbledore continued, finally approaching the end of his _long_ explanation.

"As it is… it worked," Dumbledore ended simply, adding "although I did hear that Harry is dreading meeting you, after all, your temper is famous, Lily, and he is understandably afraid of your reaction to him after breaking the Temporal Accord."

Lily _DID_ look rather cross about that, but James broke into laughter as her love for her son won out over her natural instinct to scold him for shattering one of the most important laws in the whole Wizarding world.

"Wait? Harry broke the Temporal Accord and _ISN'T_ being punished?" Lily asked.

"Love, Dumbledore already said we were listed as missing not killed that night, by saving us Harry didn't change History, they _CAN'T_ punish him," James pointed out.

Lily's jaw dropped, but she then turned to James with a mischievous grin, "Well, that stunt he pulled just blew _EVERYTHING_ the marauders have done away."

James nearly fell off his bed in shock as Lily and Dumbledore laughed.

"When can we see Harry?" Lily asked as James got settled again.

"After Poppy releases you, I will have Remus take you to him," Dumbledore replied, moving toward the door

"Wait! When I went to check on the back door when it opened, I thought I saw someone in the kitchen," Lily said suddenly, remembering that small detail, "a ghostly shadow that looked like you, James, I reached out my hand and it disappeared."

James frowned, "When I was reading a few hours after that, I could have sworn there was someone behind me, and when I checked the Ward Stones in the garden I was sure someone ran out of the house and jumped the wall of the orchard across the road."

"Harry has some explaining to do," Lily said as Poppy returned.

* * *

Harry was on his way down to the Great Hall with Serina, Ron, Hermione and Neville when they heard someone crying in a broom cupboard. The five stopped and went to the cupboard, hearing a young girl, they tried to open the door but found that it had been hit by a '_Colluportus'_. Harry eventually got it open with Neville's help and a quill transfigured into a five foot pry bar.

Inside they found a small, blonde haired Ravenclaw second year that Harry and Neville had met and befriended on the train. "Luna?"

Harry and Neville tried to go into the cupboard, but were met by a horrifying sight in the darkness; Harry saw the body of his mother lying in the darkness just beyond Luna, her emerald eyes dull and glassy, her hair sheeting her cheek, her pale skin now unnaturally so, her mouth open in an echo of her last terrible pleas. Neville saw his father writhing under the _'Cruciatus'_ curse, his limbs sporadically jerking involuntarily, his face contorted in agony, silent screams leaving his mouth.

Both missed their names being called twice as tears streaked down their faces, after a few moments a part of Harry's brain restarted and he pulled both Neville and Luna out of the cupboard on autopilot before collapsing in a heap against the wall as his brain struggled to process the image now burned into his mind.

"Harry?" faintly he heard someone call his name, "Harry!" it was louder this time so he looked up, Serina was crouching in front of him, "It's just a hex Harry, it's not real, she's fine, your father too," She said comfortingly to him.

She slipped her arms around him and pulled her close to comfort him, Hermione doing the same to Luna as Ron talked to Neville to bring him round.

After a few minutes, the three had recovered fairly well, at least well enough to become aware of their surroundings, "Are you alright Luna?" Neville asked as he picked himself up.

Luna just shook in Hermione's arms and continued to do so for several minutes, in which time at least thirty other Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students passed, not one went to find a teacher or the matron, in fact several Ravenclaws laughed, a handful including the Ravenclaw Seeker Cho Chang looked furious.

"We've got a problem," Ron stated, frowning at Chang and her friends who were now whispering to each other.

"This time there'll be blood," Harry growled, he'd known about Luna being bullied for most of the year and had been watching from the shadows ready to step in, but this was now far beyond a sick joke, this was torture. He'd done everything he could to help her and most of her tormentors had backed off but there were still a few that managed to avoid targeted retaliation, and their attacks on Luna had become steadily more viscous as a result.

"Luna, who did this?" Neville asked gently, kneeling beside the now calmer girl.

Luna mumbled something, "Luna this is beyond a joke, these b – "Harry!" – are getting off on torturing you, I WILL NOT LET THIS CONTINUE! If you don't tell me so I can deal with them now, I'll inform the DMLE and use your position as Heiress of an Ancient and Noble House to get them arrested and jailed, I'd rather not force you through that but this is no longer a game THIS IS WAR!" Harry snapped, with the way wild magic whipped around him in a vortex everyone but Hermione was reminded of their grandparent's warnings about hacked off Potters.

Luna took several deep breaths and mumbled the names into Hermione's shoulder, Hermione and Neville's scowls becoming more pronounced with each name.

"Chang… Edgecombe… Tulse… Urquart… Doe," Neville began repeating the names but Harry stormed off at the third, growling to Hermione to take Luna to the Hospital wing as he headed for the staircase, Neville and Serina following him.

The castle itself seemed wary of his wrath or perhaps wanted to see justice wrought on the bullies that had plagued the halls for too long, the walls and doors that would rearrange on a weekly basis seemed to move from his path, when he reached the stairs the many flights shifted to present a clear unobstructed path to the ground level and the Great Hall. Many of the occupants of the portraits that lined the Grand Staircase abandoned their frames as one Royally PO'D Potter passed even knocking a few askew with the wild magi swirling around him, a sight that drew the attention of three people who had just been stranded on the first floor landing.

There were several groups of students milling about in the entrance hall, but they quickly scattered as Harry passed, but not before checking the crowd of faces for his targets, finding none he continued to the Great Hall where he found all five with their heads together, apparently plotting, at an unusually clear Ravenclaw table.

Harry strode along the table and stood behind the five girls, eerily reminiscent of Snape, and waited.

It was about a minute before Jane Doe noticed the silence in the hall and looked up, she paled dramatically and her eyes widen to the size of Galleons as she tugged on Emily Tulse's sleeve, who had a similar reaction, by then Minerva Urquart had also noticed and leaned as far away from Harry as her seat allowed, eventually Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe stopped when they voiced an idea to the others but got no answer.

The pair turned round and both flinched away on seeing Harry but Chang schooled her face into a neutral expression and Edgecombe tried to sneer but her fear made her look very unintimidating, to the point that if everyone else wasn't afraid of the wild magic now surrounding Harry they would have laughed.

Chang and Edgecombe's efforts to put on a brave front came to an abrupt end at the single word that left Harry's mouth, in a tone that promised such painful retribution that even Snape felt sorry for them.

"Why?"


	3. Chapter 3

The Lost, The Damned and The Potters

Chapter 3

"Prongs?"

"Moony? Is that you?" James asked, staring in disbelief at the man at the entrance.

"Is that you?" Remus countered, drawing his wand.

Lily's eyes went wide but her husband stepped out between the beds and transformed into a handsome and magnificent stag, one she remembered seeing and even meeting in the forest a few times.

"Prongs," Remus whispered, dropping his wand as James changed back.

"Hey Moony… OOF" James tried to say before Remus pulled him into a rib cracking hug.

"Prongs," Remus mumbled happily, not noticing James steadily reddening face.

"Moony… can't… breathe… ribs… breaking… Lily… help?" James wheezed out, glaring as Lily giggled at him.

"Lily," Remus said, releasing James and hugging Lily, much more gently to a winded James' annoyance.

"Hello Remus," Lily greeted, smiling at her friend.

"I can't believe it worked," Remus mumbled, "I was going out of my mind when I realised where he'd gone."

"Dumbledore mentioned he did… whatever it was, in the Chamber of Secrets," Lily said, sitting down on a bed and motioning for Remus to sit.

"Yeah, Harry had it cleared out during the last Summer by the goblins; he made a small fortune from the dead Basilisk…"

"DEAD BASILISK!"

"It was killed the year before after a series of petrification's including Sirius' daughter Serina and her best friend Hermione Granger," Remus _partially_ explained.

"After that he got permission to repurpose the Entire Chamber, claiming his right as the Heir of Slytherin through the Rite of Conquest. Which meant he got private access to a large part of Slytherin's personal Library, which is where he found the ritual," Remus continued.

"Slytherin's personal Library," Lily whispered in disbelief and envy, James and Remus chuckled at the bright sparkle in her eyes.

"Any way," Remus continued, "He began making the arrangements secretly, he was in the final preparations by the time me and Serina discovered his notes. We ran down here but he opened the portal before we could reach him, not that Serina didn't try to anyway, and went through. The portal then shrank to the size of a teabag and remained that way for at least four hours, during that time I got several of the teachers and Poppy down there while Serina kept pacing the room and glancing at the portal, eventually, you two appeared after four hours in a bright flash of light each and half an hour after that the portal opened and Harry stepped out. He slumped against one of the pylons that projected the portal and didn't seem to notice anyone or anything; it took him several moments to notice Serina when she ran up to him. I thought she was going to chew him out but she just wrapped her arms around him as he cried, he cried until he fell asleep in her arms."

"Why was he crying?" Lily asked Remus, worried.

"He planned an indirect intervention," Remus reminded them, pointing to the two makeshift Time Turners, "Which sadly meant that after he put his plan in place, he had to wait everything else out. There's been rumours about that night among the muggles in the village, many of whom believe the house is haunted and haven't approached in years, apparently the night was so still and quiet you could hear everything from the town square."

"Oh Merlin," Lily whispered, tears welling in her eyes at the thought of Harry having lived through that twice. James slid his arm around her waist and hugged her gently.

"What was the ritual?" James asked concerned at what his son might be delving into.

"Nothing Dark," Remus assured his friend, "Extremely delicate in the set up, but otherwise ludicrously simple. It's only ever touched on in post-Roman texts and never written of in detail, Harry got lucky down here."

"So Voldemort and his people don't know?"

"Of course not, or he would have used it already," Remus replied, "Harry's also learning Occlumency from Nicholas Flamel in order to keep it that way."

"Flamel?" James whispered, Lily just staring in disbelief.

"During Harry's first year Dumbledore hid Flamel's Philosopher's Stone in the school, Harry got caught up in a plot by Voldemort to steal it. It failed and the Stone was destroyed except for a single three-inch shard that was buried in Harry's leg, he sent it to Flamel with a note. Flamel wrote back offering private tutoring in exchange for granting him and Perenelle the chance to live long enough to make another Stone."

Lily and James just sat there, taking it all in for a moment as Remus checked the time.

"I think we should head to the kitchens for breakfast," Remus suggested.

Lily and James agreed and followed Remus out of the Hospital wing with Madame Pomfrey's permission.

The three walked out of the Hospital wing and headed for the staircase, only sparing a quick glance down a side corridor when they heard a commotion at one of the broom cupboards.

They had descended the stairs on the North side of the staircase and had reached the first floor landing when all the staircases suddenly changed, forming an unobstructed path down the south wall.

"What the?" James said, but any further thought was stopped by the sight of a strangely familiar boy traversing the path down the south wall with a large vortex of wild magic surrounding him.

"Is that… Harry?" Lily asked in disbelief.

"Looks like he got your temper," James said, trying to joke but failing.

"Someone has made him really angry," Remus mumbled as Harry reached the bottom of the staircase followed by a girl with wavy black hair and a tall, gangly boy with bright red hair.

As the three children reached the entrance hall, the stairs returned to normal, allowing everyone who had been stranded to move. Lily, James and Remus took their chance to reach the ground floor and follow Harry.

They entered the Great Hall to find Harry standing next to a group of five Ravenclaw girls, glaring down at them as the black haired girl and red haired boy stood about ten feet back.

They stopped in surprise, but as they were about to move towards them, Harry spoke to the Ravenclaws, his voice sending a visible shiver through everyone in the Hall.

"Why?"

Three of the Ravenclaws flinched away, looking very guilty and ashamed, of the other two, one looked very afraid while the other was trying to sneer at him.

"Why, what?" the dark brown haired girl asked.

"Why do you lock a claustrophobic girl in broom cupboards?" he replied, but it was clear it was a rhetorical question, his voice still deathly cold, "why do you take her from her bed at night and lock her outside the tower? Why did I have to arrange for _our_ dorm guardian to let her in when that happens? Why do you steal her possessions and force her to continue through the day without her shoes, books and even her wand? Why does it fall to a _Gryffindor_ to defend a Ravenclaw from the tormentors in her own house?" the last question was asked to the hall, which was now pretty full but none of the Ravenclaws had dared sit at their table.

Professor Flitwick was quite shaken at what apparently went on in his house, "What on earth do you mean, Mr Potter? What has been happening?"

"What I mean, Professor?" Harry answered fiercely, surprising the staff, "Is that _YOUR_ house has been repeatedly and viciously attacking one of their own, under your very nose, for the simple fact she has eccentric beliefs. Neither you, nor any other staff member, could be bothered to protect her, none of your realised she was being bullied when she arrived in your classes without a full uniform or missing materials, you punished her instead of investigating. I have been trying to make it stop for over a year, because you won't."

All the teachers looked like they'd been slapped, except Snape who had investigated when Potter brought it to his attention, he remembered the conversation well:

"_Professor, can I talk with you for a moment?"_

"_What is it, Potter?" Snape asked, not looking around as he sorted through the store cupboard for the ingredients he'd need next lesson._

"_It's about a friend of mine, she's being bullied for being… different."_

_He dropped the jar he had just picked up, which luckily had an unbreakable charm on it, _that_ was all too familiar to him._

"_Why come to me? Surely your Head of House or theirs would be more appropriate,"_

"_McGonagall doesn't give a damn because she's a 'claw, and Flitwick can't see a damn thing even when she's bullied in front of him. Sprout was no help either, she said it was Flitwick's problem," Potter replied angrily, "You're my last chance, after all, you know what it's like to singled out for being different."_

_That hit him deeply, Potter Senior had indeed bullied him because of his greater than usual knowledge of the Dark Arts, but he had someone who would stand up to Potter for him, who wouldn't abandon him, and, although he was reluctant to admit it out loud, Potter Senior _had_ changed for the better during their Sixth Year and stopped bullying him and the other Slytherins, only retaliating when necessary._

"_Tell me the name and I'll look into it,"_

"_Luna Lovegood."_

Snape had been surprised and alarmed by what he saw, and took any excuse to be as foul to the perpetrators as he was to Potter, that combined with Potter's efforts had ended almost all the bullying, almost but not quite all.

"So what?" burst the brown haired girl, "It's not like she has any friends, she doesn't belong here…"

"She has me!" Harry roared, cracks started to appear in the stone floor and the table surfaces as several windows broke, "and what gives you the right to judge? What has she done to deserve this?"

"She's a freak!" the girl blurted out angrily, ignoring her friends who had been trying to subtly tell her to shut up, "Freaks shouldn't go to Hogwarts!"

The hall was silent for a moment, before a loud and frightening groan echoed through the hall. Huge cracks suddenly snaked up the walls; the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables splintered and broke in several places, the cracks in the flagstones grew before the stones broke as if a troll had slammed a huge hammer into them, dozens of students hastily cast shield charms as every window in the hall shattered and broken glass cascaded downwards.

"A freak?" Harry asked in an unnaturally calm voice, the girl paled suddenly as she realised her mistake, "That is your justification? Just because she believes in things you've never heard of or seen?"

He took a deep breath as he tried to control his temper, "That is how you justify stealing her things, Locking her out of Ravenclaw Tower at night, Locking her in broom cupboards knowing she's claustrophobic? Well, today you can be proud of yourselves for moving up from bullying to psychological torture, locking her in a broom cupboard after casting a Nightmare curse inside it, Bloody brilliant!"

"What do you mean Torture?" Professor Sprout asked in horror as almost the entirety of the other three houses were glaring at the Ravenclaws, even the majority of Slytherins.

"The curse they used forces you to see you worst memory, not unlike a Dementor's aura, Luna's worst memory is the death of her mother which she witnessed, I saw my own mother's corpse when I and Neville broke in to rescue her, I can only imagine how long she was there," Harry continued, horrifying and angering many students and staff, as well as making his parents pale considerably.

Harry then fixed the Brown haired girl, "Do you know that you sound like my old Guardians?" the girl shook her head, "No? They used to call me a freak because I had magic. They used to say that freaks don't deserve to have new clothes or toys, they didn't deserve to have a real bedroom, or full meals, just scraps if that." The teachers, especially McGonagall and Remus were going increasingly pale.

"And do you know what else? They said freaks don't get good marks at school or free time at home. _I_ was their _slave_, _I_ cooked, _I_ cleaned, _I_ washed their clothes, _I_ kept the garden an image of perfection…"

Harry shook his head sadly, "but it was never enough for them, my efforts always fell short of their expectations, never mind they couldn't hope to achieve that standard themselves. So I had to be punished," Harry then pulled off his robe and threw it on the table before loosening his tie.

"And do you know how they punish freaks that screw up their chores? Or even for being a freak at all?" Harry asked as he loosened his shirt, again the girl shook her head, afraid of what she might hear.

"This," Harry said as he pulled his shirt over his head, "Is how they punished me, for being a Freak."

Thin white lines criss-crossed nearly his entire torso and arms with a nasty concentration of scars over his kidneys and heart. The word freak was carved into his flesh on his upper right arm, left forearm and just below his neck. There were a series of scars that looked like burns on his wrists and forearms and a circular scar the size of a Galleon in the middle of the inner side of his right forearm.

"This was my _'reward'_ for existing," Harry hissed at the girl, who now had tears in her eyes and was shaking her head in horror and disbelief, Harry ignored the sounds of several people vomiting, screaming or fainting as he stared unblinkingly into the girl's eyes.

"This," he hissed again, "Is how far my relatives went."

He then fixed her with an unwavering glare that left the girl wanting to faint but unable too, "How far are you going to go? Because, I promise that if you do, I will be there to repay _EVERY SINGLE ACT_ in kind."

The girl finally fainted, leaving her friends to a furious and vengeful Potter. "Enough, Mr Potter."

Harry turned around to see all four Heads of House approaching, trying to repair as much damage as they could as they walked, his eyes settling on Professor Flitwick who looked furious, ashamed and embarrassed, feelings shared by Professors McGonagall and Sprout while Snape looked remorseful that he couldn't have done more.

"You are right, I have been blind to these girl's actions and am guilty of not recognising the signs that one of my students were being harassed," the small Professor's voice was hard as was his face, making nearly everyone do a double-take at the usually friendly and excitable Professor, "However, I promise you that will be quickly remedied."

"If I'm not satisfied with their punishment I'm taking this to the DMLE," Harry warned, stepping back as the Professors confiscated the girl's wands and begin shepherding them toward the doors.

"That may happen anyway," Flitwick replied, drawing Harry's curiosity as the Professor's usually had a soft touch when it came to bullying, "If these accusations of yours are accurate with regards to the extremes these girls went to, I can assure they will no longer be in my House, if not the school all together."

He shook his head sadly as Serina collected Harry's robe and draped it over her boyfriend's shoulders hiding the worst of the scars, "How did I miss this? How could I fail my students like this?"

"I don't know," Harry answered honestly, usually Flitwick was as good as Snape at spotting when his students had problems, "but you have a chance to correct this, don't waste it. And you now need to decide how to proceed, they were only a hard core of bullies, many others from your House were involved before."

Flitwick's eyes shot to the other Ravenclaws who all looked ashamed, "This will NOT happen again as long as I am here," he declared, making many of his students flinch away.

"I think it would be best to check on Luna," Harry suggested, "after all, she is the victim."

Flitwick nodded, "Yes, you're right. I presume you will join me to support your friend?"

"Of course," Harry replied, "I was meant to have the day off anyway, so Madame Pomfrey could deal with the worst of…" he trailed off, dropping his head in shame as he gestured to his chest.

"I understand," Flitwick replied gently, sadness almost completely overwhelming him at the revelation of the barbarity inflicted on the son of his all-time favourite student, "Shall we?"

Harry followed Professor Flitwick out of the silent Hall, not noticing the shocked stares or many tears of the female students and even some of the younger boys.

He didn't notice the shocked disbelief of the Slytherins change to deadly glares at Draco Malfoy, he didn't notice the way Remus looked helplessly at him as he passed or his mother on her knees, crying into her hands as his father tried to comfort her.

He didn't notice anything until he settled onto an empty bed in the Hospital Wing.

He stared at a spot on the floor, barely hearing the conversation between Flitwick, Pomfrey and Luna, before looking up and finding Serina sitting next to him holding his hand and silently crying.

He looked into her eyes and saw his own reflected in them, saw his tortured soul staring back but also seeing a tiny glint that he'd never seen before, through the pain, shame and humiliation there was a small but slowly spreading sense of relief.

He was finally free from his most terrible burden, his deepest and darkest secret would be known throughout Magical Britain by Dusk, but at least he could take solace in the fact he no longer had to hide the truth.

Serina let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around him, he felt a wetness soak into his hair as she rested her head on his shoulder and her cheek on the back of his neck.

"Why?" she asked in a strained voice.

"It's human nature to lash out at what we don't understand," Harry replied, sliding an arm around her waist as he rubbed her back gently with the other, "Fear, Ignorance and, in this case, Jealousy compounds the problem."

"How could they do this to their own nephew?"

"Vernon I think was from fear, Petunia was jealous of my mother's abilities and her marrying my father and Dudley doesn't know any better," Harry replied, slightly surprised at how easy it was to talk about this.

"Not even my family is that cruel," Serina stated angrily, sitting back slightly to look in his eyes again.

"I don't know," Harry mused, thinking of some of the things he'd read past generations of Blacks had done, "This would probably be pretty average for a Black, really…"

Serina sighed and the two sat in silence for several moments before Madame Pomfrey came over and asked if he still wanted to go through with the procedure.

"Yes, but it might be best if you gave me a thorough examination first and made detailed records, I've a feeling I'll be talking to the DMLE tomorrow," Harry replied.

Madame Pomfrey agreed and went to fetch the Privacy screens, Harry asked Serina not to wait for him and to explain to Remus what was happening.

Pomfrey returned as Serina left, bringing not only the screens but a hospital gown for Harry. She set the screens and prepared several rolls of parchment for the examination as Harry changed behind the screens.

He lay back on the bed after changing and waited for Pomfrey to begin.

The examination took twenty minutes and five rolls of parchment, detailing every injury and partial or complete treatment.

Then the procedure began, it basically involved removing the top layers of dead skin to directly heal the scar tissue in the healthy flesh underneath, a long process with the pain being relative to the injury being healed.

* * *

As Harry prepared himself for one of the most unpleasant experiences of his life, others were reeling from the nightmare they'd just witnessed.

Remus, Lily and James had quietly retreated to Remus' office, where they were joined shortly after by Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape.

"I can't believe it?" Remus mumbled as Severus poured him a shot of Firewhiskey.

"No one knew," Severus said, "It wouldn't have got so far if we had."

"I said they were the worst muggles imaginable," Minerva said tearfully, "I watched them a whole day before and I didn't protest more. I should have stopped it; I should have taken him myself…"

"You couldn't have known," Severus snapped, "You trusted Dumbledore's judgment, as did I, I didn't recognise the signs either when he arrived, all I saw was Potter's brat I didn't even consider for a moment that he was anything but a pampered prince."

He shook his head sadly, ignoring both Lily and James staring at him while Remus and Minerva glared lightly, "I didn't realise it until Pomfrey had me brew a batch of scarring potion shortly after the autumn term began, I couldn't believe she could use up enough to warrant a new batch so soon and I went to investigate, I found her treating Potter's back. But even then what I saw then wasn't the full extent of his injuries."

"I dread to think what he was subjected to every day there," Minerva began.

"Unfortunately, I have some idea," Snape replied, earning a horrified look from Lily, something that didn't go unnoticed.

James was about to say something but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Remus opened the door, showing the pretty, black haired girl who was with Harry in the hall waiting on the other side.

"Professor, could I come in?"

"Of course, Serina," Remus said stepping aside to allow her in.

She walked in and Remus closed the door behind her, "Harry's going to be in the Hospital Wing until at least this evening, he arranged something with Madame Pomfrey to remove most of the scars today," Serina said, her voice faltering slightly as she mentioned the scars.

"Did you know?" Remus asked as Serina sat between him and Minerva.

"I knew he had a few, he admitted as much around Christmas after I saw that word carved into his arm. When he agreed to look into getting them healed, I was so happy, you know how hard it is to make him go to the Hospital Wing for any injury he gets here, I never realised there were so many, when I saw them all…" she broke down crying at the thought of what had happened to Harry, Minerva pulled the crying girl into a hug and let her upset cub cry into her shoulder.

"What does she mean? Can that many scars be cured?" Lily asked hopefully.

"To a degree," Severus replied, "Some of Po… Harry's wounds are magical in nature, the scar on his forehead is infamous in this regard as a souvenir of that Halloween, there's also a scar on his right arm I believe won't be healed completely."

Lily sighed, but James caught something, "What do you mean, souvenir?"

"Harry survived that night with a scar on his forehead shaped like lightning…" Minerva began but was cut off by Serina.

"They labelled him the Boy-Who-Lived, he can't go anywhere without being stared at like a zoo animal, he was accused of attacking muggleborns as the heir of Slytherin when the Chamber of Secrets was opened last year despite one of our best friends being the best muggleborn student in the school, they treated him like dirt because we lost 150 points in one night killing our lead over Slytherin in our First year, and I was labelled a slut in the _Daily Prophet_ when we were caught kissing in Hogsmeade…"

"And _how_ could you two be kissing in Hogsmeade when Harry _doesn't_ have permission to leave the castle?" Remus asked, smiling at his honorary goddaughter, who glared before trying her best innocent look on Minerva, which sadly failed due to the resemblance to her father's own look at that age.

"We are waiting, young lady," Minerva prompted, hiding her smile with well-practiced ease as Serina's eyes widened in horror, before blushing hard and looking away.

"He snuck out using one of the secret passages, he promised to take me to Hogsmeade for our first official date and refused to break his promise," Serina answered.

"Do you know which passage he used?" Minerva asked, she knew better than to ask a Marauder's child their secrets but as a teacher she still had to try.

Remus and James grinned broadly when they heard Serina answer, "Harry didn't tell me which passage he used," the look on her face was nearly identical to her father's when he evaded a question from Minerva.

Minerva sighed and let it go.

"The _Prophet_ was especially cruel because of my father," Serina added.

"How do you mean?" Lily asked.

"There was a headline about how she was seducing him to lead him to Sirius for him to kill," Severus explained, "In fact; she was questioned by the DMLE here in the castle. Harry cursed one of the Aurors pretty badly when they started making unpleasant remarks as they escorted her back to the Hall, the idiot didn't think Harry would hear him or care."

"What happened?" James asked.

"Nothing," Remus said as Severus hid his smirk behind his goblet and Minerva smiled, "Amelia Bones saw the whole thing and was about to step in, instead she gives Harry a mild telling off, Serina a formal apology and simply levitates the idiot out of the Entrance hall while still under the effects of six hexes and curses."

"The following day there was a public apology in the _Prophet_ after several of their friends threatened to sue the paper," Remus finished.

James laughed as Lily shook her head in disbelief.

"So, when did you two start dating?" James asked, prompting Lily to cry "James."

"He asked me to be his girlfriend after I woke up after being petrified last year, but we started dating when school began again," Serina replied.

"Without that horrible prelude of yours, Potter," Severus added.

Minerva and Remus smiled as James and Lily blushed.

"Harry was hoping to meet you before going to the Hospital Wing but then we found Luna," Serina said sadly.

"I guess that'll have to wait until tomorrow," Remus replied.

* * *

Harry woke up the next morning with his whole body aching worse than it had in several years, he raised an arm to massage his pounding forehead but stopped halfway there, before suddenly smiling.

The only scar on his right arm was the Galleon sized mark where the Basilisk had bitten him, a quick check of his left arm showed nearly the same except for a single long line where he'd cut his forearm open on a nail after being slammed into the side of one of the tower stands at the Quidditch Pitch by Terrance Higgs in First Year.

He ran his fingers over his skin just to be sure; he found that only the scars from his deepest injuries or the magically imbued ones like his arm were left.

"I see that you're awake," Harry looked up to see Madame Pomfrey approaching, "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Harry replied, he tried to sit up but winced as the skin over his back and neck suddenly hurt, feeling very tight, "and very stiff."

"This will help loosen your body; I'd also recommend stretching thoroughly before leaving, the soreness should be gone by tonight and you'll be able to move as normal by at least tomorrow," Madame Pomfrey replied, handing him a familiar orange potion after performing a diagnostic charm and seemed satisfied with the results.

Harry drank the potion as Pomfrey left before attempting some small stretches, slowly building up to larger movements that used more muscles until he was touching his toes.

He went to the shower room at the back of the ward to shower after asking one of the school elves to collect a fresh uniform for him, when he came out he found Serina waiting for him.

"How did it go?"

"Pretty good, only the worst remain and they've been severely reduced, you wouldn't guess what caused them if you didn't already know, except for the magical scars of course," Harry replied as he walked over.

"It was in the _Evening Prophet_ last night, there's rumours going around about a lynch mob forming in Diagon before the Minister made a public statement," Serina told Harry, knowing that it was best to tell him the truth straight away, warts and all.

"I'd have never got out of there without the Minister's help," Harry admitted, "Dumbledore tried to convince me to go back, then tried to take me with some of the Order but Fudge arrived within minutes with several Aurors and the documents stating I was never to go back. I had to show Dumbledore my back to finally open his eyes, after that he folded like a house of cards."

He sighed before continuing, "Fudge arranged with Madame Bones to keep the investigation low key, but now they'll be forced to arrest them immediately, and I'll have to face them in court."

"How did Remus take it?" Harry asked, forgetting about his parents.

"He and your parents took it hard," she briefly hesitated as his eyes widened in horror, "In fact, they were sharing a bottle of Firewhiskey with Professors Snape and McGonagall."

She stared into his eyes for a moment, "Minnie looked like she'd been crying."

That stopped Harry dead, the thought of the stern and proper Transfiguration teacher breaking down and crying was something he'd always dismissed as fantasy, he could never conjure a believable image in his mind's eye, to be told he'd actually made her cry…

"Oh Merlin!"

"Don't you dare blame yourself, Harry James Potter. They would have had to be told anyway and I cannot predict their reaction being any better," Serina scolded.

"Sorry, wait? Snape?"

"Yeah, it seems that witnessing the initial treatment and going to him about Luna's bullies opened his eyes," Serina replied, "Surely you've noticed he isn't so biased anymore."

"I hadn't, but now you mention it…"

"I think we should head to breakfast," Serina said, "You won't want an empty stomach to ruin your first family moment."

"I want you to be there," Harry said, his face was neutral but his eyes betrayed his worry, "I don't know if I can meet them on my own after…"

"It's ok, I'll be with you," Serina replied, giving Harry a quick hug before leading him out of the Hospital Wing and down to breakfast.

Everyone stared as the couple entered the Great Hall but quickly went back to their meals or conversations.

The meal itself was uneventful, in fact it was a little too quiet, but that changed when the post owls arrived, along with the _Daily Prophet_ delivery owls.

The headline was split; the page itself was literally split in two. The left side held a photograph of Harry confronting the Ravenclaws, mercifully the loop stopped before he removed his shirt but did capture the extraordinary and destructive accidental magic. The article detailed the confrontation, the revelations over the rampant bullying and bigotry, it then mentioned in disturbing detail what happened next, both Harry's monologue and a reader friendly description of the injuries he revealed and revealed were caused by his previous guardians (with a very unsubtle note to their readers that the true extent of the scars were not something for someone without a very strong stomach to read about.)

The right side had a picture of his parents talking to the Minister, Madame Bones and Madame Marchbanks, that headline stated that the couple had been found unconscious in the ruin of their old home, the article stated that a DMLE Patrol Squad reacted to a large burst of magic at the site and found them in the rubble wearing modified Time-Turners.

It then continued on page 3, stating that they were working to regain custody of Harry, and recover their legal and financial assets.

The divide did not reach the bottom of the page, it stopped four inches short with a horizontal line, beneath was a headline proclaiming Sirius Black's possible innocence due to testimony from Harry's parents.

The rest of the article was entirely speculation and made up of several theories spanning pages 5-9.

The low buzz of conversation returned to the Hall in force, nearly everyone had huddle into groups to talk and were glancing at him and Serina every few minutes.

Professor McGonagall came over and told Harry that his parents were waiting in Professor Lupin's office for him, and would like to see him after breakfast.

Harry and Serina quickly finished and walked out of the Hall, heading for the Third Floor, ignoring the near constant whispers and mutterings of the other students as they passed and the stories from the _Prophet_ spread.

The couple entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and walked over to the stairs up to the Office, Harry stopped just short of the door.

Serina took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I'm here for you, Harry, it's going to be ok," she said softly.

Harry nodded, not trusting his voice right now, and took the last few steps to the door. He glanced at Serina, who smiled as she stood next to him holding his hand, before raising his hand and knocking.

"Come in," Professor Lupin said.

Harry opened the door and stepped into the room, Serina following just behind him.


End file.
